10 Arrested, Cops Injured In Brawl

OCEAN CITY – Ten people were arrested, four Ocean City Police officers were injured and three suspects were transported to an area hospital early last Saturday during a fight involving several hundred people in the parking lot of a mid-town resort nightclub.

Shortly after 2 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City police were called en masse to the parking lot of Seacrets on 49th Street for a large fight in progress. When they arrived on the scene, local law enforcement officers observed several hundred people involved in the large altercation.

More than 23 officers from the OCPD, including three K-9 teams, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police were called in to help disburse the crowd. The team of local law enforcement officers was joined in the fray by Seacrets security personnel. During the large incident, an OCPD K-9 handler was assaulted by one of the suspects and a K-9 dog bit one of the combative, resistant suspects.

Four officers received minor injuries during the incident and three suspects were transported by Ocean City EMS to AGH where they were treated for minor injuries and released. When the dust settled, 10 arrests were made for a wide variety of offenses from assault to failure to obey a lawful order and from obstructing and hindering to resisting arrest.

Among those arrested on the most serious charges was Bruce Planter, 25, of Berlin, who was charged with two counts of second-degree assault on a police officer, malicious destruction of property, possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and failure to obey a lawful police order. Planter was held on a $75,000 bond at the Worcester County Jail.

Taronn Rounds, 27, of Bishopville, who has an extensive criminal history in the area, was charged with failure to obey a lawful order of a police officer and was released on his own recognizance. Kimberly Duffy, 21, of Berlin, who was charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of her boyfriend in Ocean City in 2006, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing and hindering and was released on her own recognizance.

Glenn White, 21, of Berlin, who has also been in and out of local courtrooms and was charged just two weeks ago with driving on a suspended license and disorderly conduct, was charged with failure to obey a lawful order and resisting arrest.

Brontya Salter, 21, of Salisbury; Byron Briddell, 21, of Berlin; Tikishia Briddell, 23, of Berlin; Sheena Handy, 24, of Selbyville; Tanisha Baine, 25, of Berlin; and Ronnapheck Pherhnanh, 27, of Selbyville, were also arrested and charged with various offenses stemming from the fight.

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